Massage apparatus.



No. 659,674. Pa'lteniedct. I6, |900. B. F. HUTCHES, JR.l

MASSAGE APPARATUS.

(Application led,Nnv. 7, 1898.)

(No Mode'l.)

WITNESSES. vzawwk fri @L df/M5L BYQ@ 0C mf /LW ATTORNEY.

" ATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. HUTCHES, JR., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

' MASSAGE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming per-t of Lettere Patent No. 659,674, dated octoberi6, 1900.

Application filed November 7, 1898. Serial No. 695,675. (No model To allwhom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. HUTcHEs, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MassageInstruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrically-operated massage instrumentsadapted to be held or grasped in the hand and moved over the parts ofthe face or body requiring massage treatment. The said instrument isprovided with electrical devices which when connected to a source ofelectricity deliver a series of rapid blows, the force of which dependsupon the size of the instrument and the strength of the electriccurrent.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a plan. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a section online 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 1- is a section on line 4e 11 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5is a plan of the operating devices with the inclosing case removed. Fig.6 is a view of the same from below. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail showingthe construction of the operating lever or paddle. Fig. 8 is a modifiedform of paddle, and Fig. 9 isa section online 9 9 of Fig. 8.

I n the said drawings, 10 is an inclosing case, within which is secureda pair of magnets 11 of the ordinary bell-ringing type. Secured to thesemagnets in any suitable manner is an insulating-block 12, on which arethe binding-posts 13 and 14. From the posts 13 and 14 the wires 15 and16 run to any source of electricity, preferably a dry battery. Securedto the block 12 or to the magnets 11, or to both, is a U-shape'd guard17, which lies parallel with the bottom of the case 10 and extends outthrough the front of said case, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Secured tothe armature 18 and pivoted at 19 to the guard 17 is a lever 20, whichliesl between the two arms of the said guard and parallel therewith. Thefront end of the lever 2O is flattened at about the point where itpasses through the front of the case 10. A piece of flattened tubing 21lits over the iiattened end of the lever 2O and is secured thereto bythe screw 22. Wrapped around the tubing 21, which is in reality aremovable extension to the armature-lever 20, is a piece of chamoisskinor other suitable covering 23. The covering 23 is secured to the tubing21 by means of the screws 24 and the plate 25. This covered extension tothe lever 2O I call, forconven- A ience sake, the paddle,andwilldesignate it as a whole by the letter P. As thus constructed thepaddle P may be o'f any desired form and may be easily removed byloosening the screw 22. In Figs. 2 and 7 a plain and comparatively-flatpaddle is shown, while in Figs. 8 and 9 is shown a paddle with a specialpointed tip 26, adapted to act upon surfaces that cannot besatisfactorily reached by a flat paddle.

Between the magnets 11 is a small case 27, which contains a spring forretracting the armature 18 from the magnets 11, which action raises thepaddle P into the position shown in Fig. 2. When a current ofelectricity is sent through the magnets 11, the ar1nature18 isattracted, which throws the paddle P into the position shown in dotted,lines in Fig. 2. 'lhe attraction of the armature 18 breaks the circuitthrough the magnets 11 and permits the paddle P to again rise. Themanner in which this operation is performed is the same as that of theordinary bell-ringing device and does not need detailed description.Pivoted at 28 on the front head of the case 10 is a lever 29, thatextends upward through a slot 30 in said case and terminates in a button31. The lower end of the lever 29 is curved, as shown at 32, whichcurved part extends over the lever 2O and serves to either stop thevibration of said lever or limit the length of its stroke. A spring 33holdsthe lever 29 normally with the curved part 32 over the lever 20,which keeps the said lever 20 at its lowest position. Vhen the lever 2Ois at its lowest position,the circuit through the magnets 11 is brokenat the point 40. Consequently the lever 29 serves as a switch normallyopen by the action of spring 33. When the instrument is held in the handin the manner in which it is to be used, the button 31 is in the mostconvenient place to be reached by the thu mb. Consequently the operatorcan easily move the lever 29, so as to permit the lever 20 to rise andcomplete the circuit through the magnets 11. When the lever 29 is pushedover to the extreme limit against the spring 33, the lever 2O makes itslongest stroke, and consequently the paddle P delivers the hardest blow.It will also be evident that by pushing the button 31 (meaning lever 29with its curved part 32) less than the extreme distance the lever 2Owill make less than its longest stroke and the paddle P will deliver alighter blow. It Will therefore be evident that the button 31 servesboth as a switch and a means for regulating the force of the massagetreatment. The guard 17 is preferably made of wire and is located justabove the lowest position of the paddle P.

In using the instrument the guard 17 is placed in contact with and movedover the surface to be treated, and the paddle Pstrikes its blowsbetween the arms of said guard.

What I claim is- 1. In a massage instrument, a lever, electrical devicesfor giving said lever rapid vibrations, a removable paddle attached tosaid lever, a guard through which said paddle operates, a case forinclosing said electrical devices, a second lever pivoted to said caseand adapted to come into contact with the first-mentioned lever, andmeans wherebyv said second lever may be operated so as to control thevibrations of the first-mentioned lever.

2. In a massage instrument, a paddle and a guard therefor, electricaldevices and connections for operating said paddle, a normallyopen switchfor said devices, a casing in closing the electrical devices and theirconnections, a button located on the outside of said case and connectedto said switch, and means whereby the movement of said button will serveto close said switch and also to regulate the movement of said paddle.

3. In a massage device a magnet adapted to give rapid vibrations to thearmature thereof, a paddle secured to and vibrating with said armature,and aguard surrounding said paddle and serving as a guide for the properplacing of said paddle when making such vibrations.

4. In a massage device amagnet adapted to give rapid vibrations to thearmature thereof", a paddle secured to and vibrating with said armature,means for limiting the length of the vibrations in one direction, and aguard located adjacent to said paddle and slightly above thelimit of itsvibrations in the oppo= site direction.

5. In a massage devicea paddle, a magnet for moving it in one directionand a spring for moving it in the opposite direction, and an adjustabledevice adapted rto vary the length of the paddle movement in onedirection only.

6. In a massage device a paddle, a magnet and a spring for moving italternately in opposite directions, and a lever adapted to be moved oversaid paddle so as to limit the length of movement in one direction whileleaving it constant in the opposite direction.

7. In a massage device a paddle, a magnet and a spring for moving italternately in op-l posite directions, a guard located near the extremeof movement in one direction and serving as a guide for locating .blowscaused by such movement, and a pivored lever adapted to be moved oversaid paddle so as to limit the length of its movement in the oppositedirection.

8. In a massage device, the combination with a lever and means forgiving it rapid vibrations, of a U-shaped guard or loop, surroundingsaid paddle, substantially as described.

9. In a massage device, a paddle, a motor for moving said paddle in onedirection and a spring for reti-acting it, a guard through which saidpaddle vibrates, and an adjustable stopping device for limiting thepaddle movement in one direction.

l0. In a massage device, a paddle and a motor for driving it, a guardfor locating the position of blows delivered by said paddle, and anadjustable stopping device for limiting the paddle movement in onedirection.

1l. In a massage device, a paddle, a motor for moving said paddle in onedirection and a spring for retracting it, a guard secured to said motorand serving as a means for locat` ing blows delivered by said paddle, anadjustable stopping device for limiting the paddle movement in onedirection, and a casing inclosing said motor and provided with anaperture through which saidv paddle projects.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 5th day of November, 1898. Y

BENJAMIN F. HU'lCI-IES, JR.

Witnesses:

G. A. HENRY, H. A. REDFIELD.

l'OO

